Belle Poule
The French frigate Belle Poule called at Funchal in July 1840 carrying the Prince de Joinville's mission to retrieve Napoleon's remains from St Helena.
The French frigate Belle Poule and the corvette Favorite anchored in the Port of Funchal (Porto do Funchal) on 24 July 1840. On board was the mission, headed by the Prince of Joinville, bound for the island of St Helena to exhume the remains of the Emperor Napoleon and carry them to France. As is well known, Napoleon passed Madeira aboard the British ship of the line Northumberland on 24 August 1815, when he was being taken prisoner into exile on St Helena (see Napoleon). The expedition commanded by the Prince of Joinville did not call at Madeira on its return to Europe. The head and other members of this mission attended several festivities given in their honour in Funchal. The Belle Poule left Madeira on 27 July, bound for the Canary Islands.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 02-
The squadron carrying Napoleon aboard the Northumberland to exile on Saint Helena arrived off Funchal, where consul Henry Veitch visited him, and left for Saint Helena.
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The French frigates La Belle Poule and La Favorite, carrying the Prince of Joinville's mission to recover Napoleon's remains from Saint Helena, stayed at Funchal.
Place
Places mentioned · 04
Abroad
- Canary Islands
Spain. Next destination of the frigate.
The Canary Islands are the archipelago neighbouring Madeira, with disputed accounts of their discovery. Tradition holds that their Béthencourt king sold them to Prince Henry in exchange for lands in Madeira. The Elucidário notes many contacts between the two archipelagos, including scientific visits, the Orfeão Madeirense's tour in May 1922 and the massacre of forty Jesuits in their waters.
- France
Where the remains were to be taken.
France is a country where several Madeirans fought and died in the First World War, including Gabriel Rocha de Gouveia and João Paulo da Veiga Pestana. It was also a place of study, of exile and of refuge for Madeirans. It was the origin of the expedition behind the Saque dos Franceses and the intended destination of the fugitives in the Machim legend.
- Harbour of Funchal
Funchal. Where the ships anchored.
Funchal Bay, the largest harbour of the Madeira archipelago and the leading port of the Adjacent Islands. The islet lies at its western end, and it lies 4 miles from the port of Câmara de Lobos. The Elucidário gives its shipping statistics from 1901 to 1943 and records episodes such as corsair and warship visits.
- St Helena
United Kingdom. Destination of the mission and site of Napoleon's exile.
Santa Helena is the Atlantic island of Napoleon's exile, death and burial until 1840. That year a French mission, the Belle Poule expedition, exhumed his body there. The island was also touched by the Eastern Telegraph Company cable.
People
People mentioned · 02-
French emperor who passed Madeira aboard HMS Northumberland in 1815 on his way to exile; his remains were the object of the 1840 mission.
- Prince of Joinville1818–1900
French prince who led the 1840 mission to exhume Napoleon, calling at Funchal on the way.